Diamonds, Cats, and Love
by TheGirlKat
Summary: Selina Kyle has always fought to survive, whether that be cage fighting for money or becoming a cat burglar. After making a daring escape from betrayal, she finds a new, fresh start. But sooner or later, her past comes to haunt her. Now Selina finds herself untangling a web of lies, betrayal, deception, and murder. Along the way, someone has his eye on her.
1. 1

"_I need to get out of here_, _NOW_", I thought hastily, as I grabbed my duffel bag and started shoving my underwear and bras into it as fast as possible. I quickly glanced up at the clock on the nightstand. 5:08. He'd be home in twenty-two minutes. I only had twenty minutes to get out. I looked at the window with the escape route and silently thanked the day we chose this apartment.

There was a soft meow, and Tomeka the Siamese cat, jumped up on the bed next to my duffel bag.

"What is it Meekers?" I asked. "We're leaving soon. Do me a favor and keep an eye on the front door, would ya?"

Tomeka jumped down, trotted to the living room, and sat down in front of the door guarding it._ It's like she knows English_, I thought. Then again, that wasn't surprising. Tomeka was an extremely smart cat.

I ripped open my closet doors and grabbed my favorite clothing. I knew not to take too much; I only needed a few clothes to survive on until I could fully begin my new life. I grabbed my favorite pair of leather pants, favorite black corset (from my favorite lingerie set), favorite black motorcycle jacket, and of course, my favorite black leather combat boots. I tossed a few more pairs of jeans and tanks into the duffel bag, then practically ran to the bathroom to grab a few more things. In the bathroom, I quickly looked at myself in the mirror. I stood at 5'5" and had been told several times that I was very small for my size and age of 23. My long black hair was messy and fell to my shoulder blades; I grabbed a brush and quickly pulled it through my hair. In the mirror, my eyes met my own. My emerald green eyes had seen better days. A faint bruise was under my right eye, I tried not to think about what had happened last night. _Selina Kyle, what have you gotten yourself into?_

Once I had put my hairbrush, makeup, and straightener all into my bag, along with my clothes, I checked the time. 5:19. Time to leave.

I threw the duffel bag over my shoulder and called Tomeka. "Meekers! Come here!"

She looked over her shoulder and meowed as if saying "Have everything? Are you ready?"

"Yes Meekers, come on." She ran and jumped into my arms.

I glanced around the room to make sure I had everything I needed. I looked at the coffee table and remembered my small bag of change I had been saving up. I ran over, and stuck my hand under the table, searching for the bag. I had taped it to the underside of the table so that he couldn't find it. Once I grabbed it, I walked briskly to the bedroom, but not before leaving the diamond ring on the table. I looked at the clock again. 5:22.

I set Tomeka down on the window sill along with the duffel bag. I quickly opened the window and crawled out on to the escape route. Grabbing the bag, I offered Tomeka to jump into my arms. She meowed and jumped into the duffel bag. "That works too, I guess," I commented. Looking down the street, I saw his shiny black Mercedes-Benz in the distance. Time to leave.

As I climbed down the ladders, I wished we didn't live on the second to top floor. Even though it was only the fifth floor out of six, it still took a while to get down. As soon as my feet hit the pavement, I began to fast walk towards the alleyway. I had ten minutes to get to the subway or I would never be able to leave his sight again. I would be trapped in the apartment. Or worse, I would be… _No. Stop thinking about that. _I forced the thoughts from my mind. _We're going to be fine._

Crossing the street, I saw the subway entrance. I was really getting away. This was it. I was almost out of here. I glanced over my shoulder, then again. There's no way. He couldn't have found me this fast. I saw his platinum blonde hair stand out from the crowd.

"SELINA!" I heard him roar my name. "GET THE FUCK BACK HERE!"

His six-foot figure began to roughly shove people out of the way as he rushed toward me. I ran for the subway entrance. I took a quick look over my shoulder. The traffic blocked him, but that didn't stop him from trying. James was big for his height, but I could weave through crowds.

I looked back; he was having a rough time getting around people, but he was still catching up. I looked ahead; I was almost to the subway entrance. I weaved through a few more people and checked behind me again. James was halfway to the entrance. I practically ran down the steps.

I looked down at my duffle bag, Tomeka was still in there. I ran into people as I tried to pass them. I didn't even stop to apologize, I just kept running. As I was running down the escalators, I heard someone yell, "HEY! WATCH IT BUDDY!".

Looking behind me, I saw James push a young college kid down as he bolted for the escalators. _To hell with it. _I jumped up on the flat metal divider, and slid down the rest of the way, and landed on my feet when I got to the bottom. I looked ahead; the subway was just pulling in. I bolted for it. I heard him scream my name again. I didn't care, I kept running. I ignored people stopping and staring at me.

Up ahead the subway was about ready to leave. I bolted for the doors. I leapt through them just in time, and the subway doors slammed shut. James ran to the doors, his large, strong hands beating on the glass of the subway. It looked like all of his muscles were rippling; ready to explode he was so angry. A vein popped out on his thick neck. "OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR NOW!" He screamed. I could see the fury in his deep green eyes. I stood back smiled, and waved. "SELINA, YOU BITCH!" The subway began to pull away. I smiled until I could no longer see him. I then sank into the nearest seat I could find, putting the duffle bag on my lap and stretching out my legs. I let out a huge sigh of relief. I had made it.

Tomeka sat up, and meowed at me. "Yes Meekers, were gone. He won't be coming after us for a long time."

She meowed again and glanced at an older man with graying hair sitting on the bench across from us. He looked like he was too posh to be riding a subway. His tailored suit stood out from the rest of the middle to lower class crowd. I wondered what he was doing on a dirty subway.

"Starting a new life I see?" he commented, interrupting my thoughts.

"You could say that," I coolly said back.

A low speaker crackle of the stop announcer made the old man stop what he had to say; "Gotham Grand Central Station. Next stop, 5th and Main." The subway came to a slow stop, and the doors opened.

The older man got up and began his way to the doors, but not before stopping in front of me. He fished around in his pocket and pulled out a small roll of bills. "I hope this helps," he said before putting them quickly in my hand and exiting off the subway.

"Wait! You don't have to!" I called back. Before the doors closed, he shouted back, "Yes I do!".

Then the doors closed, and he disappeared into the crowd. I looked down at my hand and unfolded the bills. Tears slowly welled up in my eyes as I counted $600 in one hundred dollar bills. Tomeka purred as she rubbed her face on my cheek.

"That was some guy, huh?" I said to her as I forced myself not to cry. "We have to find him and thank him one of these days." I began to put Tomeka, wondering who that mysterious man was and why he did what he did.

About forty-five minutes later, our stop arrived. I was on the other side of Gotham, away from James and all of his… _No. Stop. New life, Selina, remember? _As we got up to the street, I dug my hand into my pocket the get out the piece of paper. This piece of paper was my ticket to a new life. I looked down at the address scrawled on it. "638 Park Way Suite 13. That's about 3 blocks away, you ready for this Meekers?" She was asleep. "Well, as ready as you'll ever be I guess." Chuckling to myself, I started walking.

We arrived at our new apartment directly above a small pub ironically called "The Cheshire Cat". I chose it not only for the location, but the coziness of it as well. The apartment had been ready for a few days; I had my good friend Lori set it up for me before I left James.

"Key should be under the mat…Ah! There it is!" As soon as I opened the door and walked inside, Tomeka jumped down from the duffle bag and began to inspect the new living space. "Meekers, welcome to our new home!"

Suddenly, I sank to the floor and began to cry. Tomeka came to my side and meowed. "It's nothing Meekers. It's just…were finally alone. We're safe here. I'd never imagine this day would come." I gave her a reassuring smile that was really meant for me. I couldn't believe it. I was starting a new life.

I looked over at the kitchen. Lori had left me a few pots and pans that she must have not needed. There was a white cat clock on the wall, and even though it was kind of tacky, I fell in love with it. I smiled. Lori knew my taste very well. I set my duffel bag down on the crème sofa and walked into the kitchen. On the counter was a small note in Lori's handwriting. I picked it up and read it.

_Selina, _

_I'm at a fashion show in Paris for new outfits/lingerie for the Cat's Meow. I won't be back until a few days from now. If anything happens, you can always stay at my place. I left a spare key taped to the side of the cactus plant on the kitchen counter. Also, The Cheshire Cat owner said he would look after you and watch out for anyone looking for you. When I get back I'll introduce you to him. _

_See you in a few! _

_XOXO Lori_

_P.S. The cactus only needs a little bit of water per week._

I put the note back down on the counter and looked for Lori's spare key. Sure enough, it was taped to the side of the cactus pot. I put Lori's note next to the pot to remind myself of the spare key. Then I got a class from the cupboard, filled it with water, and gave the cactus some of the water. I made sure not to put too much, so as not to over water it. Then I grabbed my duffel bag and went into my new room.

Slowly, I began to unpack my clothes, savoring the moment of relief as much as I could. Here I was, away from him, in a smaller, cozier apartment, alone. I couldn't believe it. Everything in the apartment was mine, from the white cat clock on the kitchen wall down to the cream modern sofa in the living room. Tomorrow I decided was a day purely for shopping. I planned on using the old man's money to get groceries and some much needed supplies. _The old man…I need to find him._ I made a mental note to find him.

Putting the duffle bag on the top shelf in the closet, I turned and inspected my new room. Tomeka came into the room and hopped up on my bed. "We need more decorations. Lori did a good job with the furniture, but it needs a more…personalized touch."

Tomeka meowed in agreement. I chuckled. "Let's sleep Meekers. We have another big day ahead of us. At least this one will be much better than the last."

I crawled underneath the black comforter; Tomeka sprawled out on the other pillow next to me. I could hear the laughter and clinking of glasses from the pub beneath us. Luckily, it was muffled and not as loud as I thought it would be. Sleep then enclosed me.

"Selina. Oh Selina, how I love you. I don't want to do this, but I need to…because I love you and you have to learn."

James was standing over me, his right hand curled into a fist. "How many times have I told you to do simple things? Huh?"

I tried to reply, but nothing came out. "I can't hear you!" he yelled and advanced.

"A lot James! A lot!" I yelled back trying back away from him.

"Hey baby, there's no reason to shout at me. That's another one against you."

His hand whipped out and gripped my shirt, pulling me towards him. Even though I was five inches shorter than him, he towered over me. I could smell the vodka on his breath and the stench of his sweat.

"I love you, but I have to teach you to be good." He shoved me against the wall and pulled back his right fist...

"NO!" I yelled and jolted awake, hands covering my face and covered in a cold sweat. I was breathing fast, too fast. I quickly glanced around the room, making sure he wasn't there. Then I remembered where I was. I was safe. I slowly put my arms down, feeling safe again.

Tomeka was staring at me. "I'm alright." She still stared at me.

I lay back down and breathed slowly. Rolling over, and looking out the window directly in front of me, I silently vowed I would get revenge on James. I didn't know how or when, but I knew that I would. Then, I fell back asleep.


	2. 2

The next morning, I woke up to Tomeka patting my face with her paw and meowing to go out."Alright, alright, I'm up," I said, pushing her off of me. It was hard to open my eyes, I was exhausted from the relentless nightmares. I got up and pushed open the bedroom window.

"You know, you are the only cat I've owned that has ever used a 2-story window as a normal kitty-door."

Tomeka just stared at me with her blue eyes before jumping onto the window sill.

"Don't get into any trouble, you hear?" She meowed in response, then jumped onto the fire escape and padded down the narrow stairs. For some reason or another, the building's fire escapes had stairs instead of ladders. That was fine with me; as long as Tomeka didn't hurt herself she could come and go as she pleased. Plus, it made an easy escape, if the time ever called for it.

After watching Tomeka's slender, tan body run across the street safely, I turned and walked to the kitchen. I looked at the clock. 9:38. I turned to the fridge and almost opened it when I remembered I had no food. _Great, now what, _I thought. _Might as well see how good The Cheshire Cat is._ I walked back into my room and opened up my closet. Only a few tank tops and t-shirts, my leather jacket, and a black dress were hanging in the closet. My jeans and pants were in the dresser. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a Snow White's Poison Bite t-shirt, and went to the bathroom to get ready. I brushed my tangled hair and remembered that I still needed to get some bathroom supplies. I hadn't showered since yesterday morning. Luckily there was a small drug store down the street that carried most of what I needed. I decided to use some of my saved up cash for breakfast and my much needed items.

After brushing my teeth, I put on my combat boots and headed out of my apartment, careful to grab my keys from the counter. After a quick check up and down the hallway, I exited my apartment and shut the door behind me, locking it. Then I headed down the stairs, exited the building, and turned left, scanning the street as I went. I opened the door to The Cheshire Cat, and quickly scanned the room. There were only a handful of people there, and none of which had any interest in me. I sighed. I really needed to stop being so paranoid. James wasn't going to find me. _How does he even know you're here?_ I thought to myself. _It's not like he has people watching you._

Turning toward the nearest booth I could find, I sat down and grabbed one of the two menus from the table. An older woman who looked like she should have retired sooner came to take my order. "What will it be sweetie?" She asked in a tired voice.

"Just a coffee, and some pancakes."

"Anything specific you want in those pancakes?"

"If you could put blueberries in them that would be great, thanks."

"You got it sweetheart," and with that she took my menu and walked toward the kitchen.

I looked around the room of pub again. The bar was shut down, since it was almost ten in the morning, but a few souls would occasionally look hungrily at the liqueur on the shelves behind the bar. No one seemed to pay any attention to me. I relaxed a little. I needed to calm my nerves. I picked at my paper napkin as I waited for my food. _This isn't working. I need to start yoga again._ I made a mental note to do yoga when I got back from the store today. Yoga was one of the only things that not only helped me to retain my flexibility, but also to calm my nerves. Speaking of nerves, I became nervous again when three men entered the restaurant and sat down in the booth behind me. Silently, I wished I had brought my compact mirror with me. I could have used it to secretly view their faces in the reflection.

Just then, the older waitress came back with my coffee and food. "Enjoy hun," she said before walking to the booth behind me.

In a gruff voice she asked the men, "Well, what do you hooligans want?"

One of the men chuckled as he gave his order of steak and eggs.

"And you mister?" I took a sip of coffee as I listened. The second man had an unusual high pitched voice for a man that almost made me choke on my coffee as I tried not to laugh. I ended up coughing loudly, so loudly in fact that the high-pitched man turned in his seat and gave me a few pats on the back.

"You ok there miss?" He asked.

Taking the opportunity to see the three men's faces, I turned to him and said, "Yea, just swallowed a bit too fast. It's been a while since I had coffee this good." I tried to smile, but then quickly turned back to my food.

The high-pitched man chuckled, turned back to the older waitress and said, "John and I will just have the usual Martha." Martha, the waitress, took their menus and went back into the kitchen.

I reviewed the mental picture I took when I had turned around. The first man was bulky, well built, with greased back long, black hair. He looked like a lumberjack with his matching beard and collared red plaid flannel. The high-pitched man had short brown hair, with scruff. He was wearing a dirty black shirt with an even dirtier denim jacket. The third man, John, who was sitting next to Mr. High-Pitched, had dirty blonde hair with a paint-covered blue sweatshirt. I stayed alert and listened into their conversation.

"I hate work. I'm so over construction. I shoulda paid more attention in school. I coulda been in a office or sumthin," Mr. High-Pitched said.

"Shut up fool. I went to school with you, there'd be no way you'd've passed," Lumberjack replied, sipping his coffee loudly. John just laughed.

"Hey, isn't that the whore house across the street?" John asked.

"Hell yea it is! I heard their shows were amazing! The girls there are hott as can be, and they have huge boobs," Lumberjack sounded like he was in awe, "I went there a week ago, I had the biggest boner the whole time. In fact, I probably still do."

_You probably have the smallest dick too,_ I sarcastically thought, smiling to myself. The three men continued to talk about the Cat's Meow and the "amazing" shows. I tuned them out and continued eating. I started to feel less paranoid and more comfortable.

Once I had finished breakfast, I motioned to Martha to get my check. She nodded and began to write me up. Then she came over and left the check on my table. $5.59. _Not too bad, and it was pretty good too. _I dug into my bag of assorted bills and change. After paying and leaving Martha a $2 tip, I got up and began to walk out of the Cheshire.

As I left, I could hear John say, "Now, that's one fine piece of ass."

I froze in my tracks. Anger boiled inside of me as I remembered all the times James and his friends had called me similar names.

I turned around and snarled, "What did you say?"

All three men, had a look of shock on their face. "We were just complimenting your fine ass," John smirked and laughed with the others.

I took a step toward them, my blood hot with anger. "Say it again you fucking fuck."

John took a sharp breath, "Darlin, that's a little harsh, don't you think?"

My hand whipped out, grabbed the glass of water on the table, and poured it into his lap. Then I looked John right in the eye. "Now," I said surprisingly calmly, "What did you say?"

"N-nothing. It was nothing. Just a stupid joke," John quickly replied.

"That's what I thought. You fella's have a nice day." I gave them a smile that made them shift uncomfortably in their seats, like a cat ready to kill a mouse.

As I walked out the door, I heard Martha laugh and say, "Serves you fuckers right!"

I headed down the street to the little drug store. _Jerks, this is why I hate most men._ I was still shaking from my explosion of anger. I began to breathe deeply, helping myself to relax and calm down. _Relax Selina, James will pay for everything he did to you. It wasn't your fault. You did nothing wrong._ I sighed deeply, and felt more relaxed. Looking around me, I realized I had passed the drug store completely. I shook my head and turned around walking back, careful to keep my eye out for anything suspicious. I was still paranoid.

Entering into the drug store, I went over my mental list of what I needed. I gathered bathroom supplies: shampoo, soap, conditioner, more toilet paper, razors, and some feminine supplies. Walking down another isle, I got some food that would last me throughout the rest of the week, and of course cat food for Tomeka. After I was certain I had got everything I needed, I headed to the cashier. The total of my supplies ended up to be about $21.93, which I decided wasn't that bad. Again, I dug into my bag of change and handed the cashier the right amount. After grabbing the full bags, I was thankful I lived half a block away from the drug store.

After an uneventful walk back home, I finally got back to my apartment. I opened my door and quickly got inside, eager to put down my load of supplies. I put my stuff down on the counter, and sighed with relief. Then I shut my front door, careful of locking it. I turned back to my pile of bags and began to sort through them, getting all of my food out first and putting that away. Then I went into the bathroom and put away everything else. I put the plastic bags away under the sink in the kitchen. Then I checked the time. 12:39. _Sweet, earlier than I thought. I'm showering._ I actually got excited over the thought of showering and using my new shampoo. _I am so weird._

Shutting the bathroom door, I turned on the shower nozzle and began to strip down. Once I had gotten my clothes off, except my bra and underwear, I examined myself in the mirror. I was small for my size, only weighing around 115 pounds. I examined my ribcage. Only a few bruises remained. Using some water from the shower, I rubbed the cover-up makeup I used to cover the bruise under my right eye. I put my face closer toward the mirror. It had barely faded, but was still that bright bluish purple. Suddenly, a wave of memories hit me.

"Selina! What did you do with the money I gave you? Were you off hanging with that whore again?"

"James! I did what you asked! I got you the groceries you wanted!" He was in my face, liquor strong on his breath. I had tried every day up until then to throw out the alcohol. He always came back with more.

"Don't you dare call Lori a whore ever again!" I turned to leave, thinking I won. All of a sudden, his hand lashed out, grabbing my hair. I screamed in pain as he yanked me back toward him.

"You will do as I fucking say you bitch," he harshly snarled at me. Grabbing me again, he slammed my head into the wall.

I gripped the sink, remembering the searing pain.

I fell unconscious; my head felt like a bullet had torn through my skull. The next thing I remember was waking up, James crying over me. "Selina, Selina? Oh my god. I am so sorry. Baby. Please. Wake up." I moaned, and began to wake up. He was holding me; his tears were falling into my face. I tasted blood on my tongue. Something warm trickled down my forehead.

"Where am I? What happened?"

James cried harder.

"Selina, I'm so sorry. Forgive me." I rolled over, off of his lap and tried to stand up. As soon as I got to my knees, I felt sick. My stomach began to churn and I threw up everywhere. The next thing I remembered was falling back into James's lap, and darkness enfolded me.

The flashback wouldn't stop. There was steam all around me. It fogged the mirror, making it hard to see my own reflection. My stomach began to roil and turn as memories kept coming back.

I remembered waking up in a room of white. I started to sit up, but was immediately stopped by James and a nurse.

"Where am I? What happened?"

"You took quite a fall sweetie," the nurse replied. "Lucky your fiance came home on time, or you would have had a worse concussion."

"I…what?" I looked at James. His eyes were pitiful, but they contained a harsh message: _Keep your fucking mouth shut. _I couldn't believe it. Did all of that really just happen?

Finally, I forced the memories to stop. My stomach, desperately needing to reset itself, emptied all of its contents, or what remained. I rinsed my mouth out as soon as it was done. I looked up into the mirror and wiped away all the fog. I looked at my reflection. Sweat outlined my face, tears ran down my cheeks still, and there was a small black line under my eyelids from my mascara. Without hesitating, I took off my bra and underwear and got into the shower. As I let the hot water run over me, I began to cry. I cried for the old Selina that didn't know what she was getting herself into. The Selina that was naïve and young. The Selina that fell for a man she didn't fully know. I was grateful for two things: the old Selina was smart enough to escape, and that she actually did escape. I cried even harder as I began to wash over my bruises_. _I suddenly stopped and began to sink down to my knees as I cried. _No._ _I am not this weak. I escaped from him. He'll pay for this. I'll drag him to Hell with me if I have to. _I stood back up and stopped myself from crying. _You're stronger than this. Do not let him keep bringing you down._ I finished washing my hair and conditioned it. James had no more power over me. I was free.

I turned off the water and got out of the shower, drying myself off with a towel. I went into my bedroom and changed into yoga pants and a sports bra. I went back into the bathroom and began to comb through my hair. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked stronger, ready to fight. _Speaking of fighting…_ I needed to make a phone call.

After doing an hour and a half of yoga Shakti, I made my phone call from the home phone Lori had given me when she set up the apartment. I needed to call Ted Grant, an old friend, more like my father. As the phone rang, I silently wished someone would pick up, but it went straight to voicemail. I decided to leave a message. It was important after all. "Hey, Ted, it's me, Selina Kyle. I called for a favor from you. I would actually feel much more comfortable if we discussed this in person. Call me back when you get this. Bye." I hung up and got out some cat food for Tomeka.

Once I got Tomeka's food out, I decided to make my own dinner. Down at the drug store, they sold pasta and sauce; unexpected for a simple drug store. I got out a pot and filled it with water. Then I added salt to the water, and set it on the stove. I turned on the TV, hoping to get a glimpse of what was happening on the news. I messed around with the remote until I figured out how to pull up the guide. Once the guide was up I searched for Channel 13 News. The first thing I saw was a burning building.

I kept my attention on the news as I turned the heat down on the stove. I added the spaghetti noodles to the boiling water. One the noodles were done, I located a strainer and strained them. Then I put the noodles back into the pot with some olive oil. I grabbed a can of pasta sauce, opened it, and emptied half of it onto the noodles. Carrying the pot to the bar, I put it down on the hot pad, and turned up the volume on the tv.

"Sources say that the fire was caused by an arsonist. Incredibly, no one was hurt. However, the authorities have found no evidence of this arsonist. If anyone has information, contact the authorities immediately," a blonde reporter told the camera. She then quickly moved onto the next subject.

"Another break in at Wayne Enterprises, the second one in two weeks. Authorities say that it was planned and the thieves have left little to no evidence. We're now going to Sarah who is on site at the moment. Sarah, can you hear me?"

A red-headed young woman with a frightened look on her pale, freckled face now shared the screen with the reporter. She looked nervous. _Must be her first time on camera. _"Sarah? Are you there?" the blonde asked again, this time anxious.

Sarah snapped out of her trance and replied quickly, "Yes Julie, loud and clear. I'm here at the scene of the crime with Wayne Enterprises Security Head, Markus Reeder. Markus can you tell us what exactly they stole?"

She turned to a tall, black man in a grey uniform next to her and pointed the microphone toward him.

"Well…", he started off, taking a quick glance at the camera before continuing, "What we do know is that whoever broke into Wayne Enterprises was not smart. We have footage of everything, so –"

Sarah cut in before he could say another word. "So you _do_ have footage? Can we view it?"

Markus suddenly looked defensive. "Not at the moment, no. The police are currently going over all of it. It will be released when they have examined all of it."

"Wonderful. So as we were saying, what exactly was stolen?" Sarah was rushing to get the answers out of Markus.

Markus seemed to want to get out of the limelight of the camera now. "Wayne Enterprises is working on a new fuel technology. Not only will it help keep the atmosphere clean, but also power the entire Gotham City better than what fossil fuel, coal, electricity, etc. is doing now. The perpetrators stole important information regarding this new technology. Right now, Wayne Enterprises views this as a hostage situation." He looked straight into the camera as he said the last few words.

Sarah jumped on those words and quickly asked, "What do you mean a hostage situation? Do they have people?"

Markus looked at her before turning into the camera again, a serious look in his eyes. "No. They do not have people. However, what they do have is priceless information that we will do anything to get back."

Sarah pelted him with another question, "Could this put Wayne Enterprises out of business?"

Markus looked grim before answering the question. "It could, but I doubt that anyone would. Our research program wasn't even done fully testing it. So whoever stole that formula is out of luck. If Wayne Enterprises isn't sure that it fully works, then stealing it was a stupid move."

Sarah pressed on, in search of something shocking. "But what if it _does_ work?"

Markus laughed. Sarah's eyes widened at his reaction to her question. "Even if they do figure out that it works, it's impossible to use without the right materials and equipment. This formula is hypothetical. It's a thought written down, if you will. They just stole a piece of a puzzle that we don't even know if it fits."

"But it is a piece, correct?" Sarah fired back.

"Correct. But think of how many puzzle there are." And with that, Markus crossed his arms and stepped back from the microphone, done with the interview.

Sarah took back the microphone and looked into the camera, "Well you heard it Julie. Looks like Wayne Enterprises has a small fly that they need to deal with. Back to you."

I turned off the news. _What would you do with a formula that isn't tested and very likely that it doesn't work?_ I wondered.

I looked at the clock, it was only 4:15 in the afternoon. _I should probably take a nap, I need one anyway. _I hadn't been sleeping very well since the nightmares.

Walking into my bedroom, I made sure that my window was big enough for Tomeka to get in. Then, I pulled back my comforter and settled down into the bed. After tossing and turning for a few minutes, I was finally able to find a position that was comfortable. As I closed my eyes, I hoped no nightmares would disturb me. Before I fell asleep, I figured I should visit Ted the next day. _I need to say hi anyway, and what better way than stopping by in person?_ Then I fell asleep.


	3. 3

I woke up in the middle of the night to the sounds of the city. I felt like someone was watching me. I pretended to be asleep as I listened and sensed for another presence in the room. Nothing.

I slowly opened my eyes. It took me a minute for them to adjust in the dark, but when they did, nothing seemed to be out of place. I looked at the window. It looked a little more ajar than what I had left it. Getting up, I went over to the window and began to close it. Suddenly, I heard a rustle in the room. I froze, my adrenaline spiked. I quickly turned on the lamp that was next to me on the bedside table. There standing in the middle of the room was Tomeka, a dead mouse in her mouth.

It took me a minute to understand what I was seeing. After I had realized it was just Tomeka, and not an intruder, I sighed with relief and almost sank to the floor.

"Tomeka, you scared the fucking hell out of me!" I laughed. Then I noticed she still had the mouse in her mouth.

"Ew! Get that rat outside!" I squealed. Tomeka jumped to the window sill and placed it on the outer edge. Then she turned back to me and meowed.

"You know that isn't allowed in the house Meekers," I scolded.

"Come on, let's go back to bed." I shut the window, careful to lock it. Then I got back under my covers, Tomeka's small body next to my face on the other pillow.

"Goodnight Meekers," I mumbled as I yawned. She began to purr, instantly putting me back to sleep.

I woke up late the next morning, glad I was actually able to sleep. I sat up in bed, stretched, and let out a huge yawn. I glanced around the room. Something didn't feel right, like something was missing. Looking at every detail of the room, I finally convinced myself it was all in my head. I shrugged and looked down at Tomeka's sleeping body next to me. As I pet her soft fur, she woke up, looked at me and yawned. Then she began to purr loudly. I sighed and began to get out of bed. Dragging myself to the kitchen, I opened the fridge and began to make breakfast. Tomeka padded right behind me. I turned back to the fridge and got Tomeka out her catfood.

As we ate our breakfast in silence, I remembered what I had to do today. _Oh yea, I have to go shopping today…I should probably see if Lori is home._ Lori lived across the street, above the strip club called "The Cat's Meow." Actually, she owned the strip club. She and I had been best friends since high school, we always had one another's backs. When she turned 18, a modeling agency had offered her a job. Sadly, the modeling career fell through when she turned 21, and she decided "to hell with it".

"I'll give them beauty and a show they'll never forget," she had said when she told me her idea. She had even offered me a job there, as one of her top strippers.

"You're flexible enough; you'd be raking in the dough."

"I couldn't Lori, James would kill me if he found out I was a stripper. Besides, he hates me hanging out with you."

"Selina! Forget him! He's too tight on you!"

I gave her a look that clearly said NO.

Lori sighed."Alright, but don't say I didn't offer!"

I knew that Lori wouldn't come by in the morning, it was too "early" for her. I chuckled at the thought, she had always hated mornings. I turned on the TV and channel surfed until I came across a comedy show that I liked.

A few hours later, there was a knock on the door that interrupted my thoughts and made me jump. I felt panic starting to spread throughout my body. _Selina, _I reminded myself_, relax, he couldn't have found you this fast._ I looked through the peephole of the door. There stood the beautiful blonde Lori in red heels, black pants, and a leopard skin corset top, gorgeous as always. She was 5'7" with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Men loved and adored her but much to their dismay, she was into women.

I opened the door quickly and pulled her inside.

"Hey! What the hell?! Relax would ya?" Lori then laughed. "It's just me, jeez. Look, I know you're all jumpy, but I promise James won't find you. Especially since you're across the street from a whore house." She smiled reassuringly, and then gave me a huge hug.

"I've missed you Selina."

"I missed you too Lori. Thanks for not giving up on me."

Lori pulled away and took both of my hands. Lori stood at 5'7", and since I'm 5'5", I had to look up at her. "Selina, you're my best friend. I would never give up on you."

Tears welled in my eyes as I hugged her again. She and I hugged for a bit longer before she asked something.

"What?" I asked.

"I asked if you were ok and if you were hungry."

"Yea, I'm ok. But I am starving. Lemme get dressed first though."

"Don't mind if I watch?" Lori asked teasingly.

"Lori, you and I both know I don't roll that way." Lori started to laugh. I stuck my tongue out at her as I walked back into the bedroom.

"Hey, where are we going today?" I asked her from my bedroom.

"Um, I was thinking the high end side of Gotham? That way we can get some sexy new clothes and you can get decorations." That was Lori for you, almost as bad as Tomeka, reading my mind.

"You read my mind."

"I figured as much. Knowing you, you'd want to add your own touch to this place." I smiled at the fact that she still knew me so well.

I walked out of my room dressed in a dark green and black high-low dress, grey lace tights, and my combat boots. I completed the look with red lipstick and a gold peace necklace.

"What do you think?"

"Perfect for shopping." Lori said, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to do something with my hair, and then we'll leave. Sound good?"

"Sounds great. Where's Meekers?" Lori asked using the nickname I gave Tomeka when I first got her.

"She just went outside. She'll probably be back tonight."

I quickly walked to the bathroom, got out my straightener, and plugged it in. I did my makeup as I waited for it to heat up. Lori came in and leaned on the window sill as she watched me.

"Hey, wanna start going to this fighting class of mine?" Lori casually asked. However, I knew where this was going.

"Why?" I answered.

"You know why Selina, I'm not going to say it out loud."

I picked up my straightener and began to straighten my long black hair. I thought about it for a moment.

"I suppose I could. As long as I start doing yoga with you again, I need to be as flexible as I was again."

When Lori and I were in high school, we were both in gymnastics. The coaches there used to call us "The Bendies" because of our flexibleness.

Lori smiled. "It's a deal. I know of this great yoga place. The lady in charge is incredible, and hot too."

I rolled my eyes at her and laughed. "Oh Lori…"

"What? A girl's gotta get laid!"

I put my straightener down and unplugged it.

"You ready?" She asked.

"Yea, just lemme grab something. Actually, you'll want to see this."

"What is it?" she asked hesitantly as she followed me into the bedroom.

"It's nothing bad, just…interesting." I opened my dresser and rummaged around my underwear until I found the roll of bills. I pulled it out and handed it to her. She counted the hundred dollar bills. Her eyes widened.

"Woah! How did you save all of that up without James knowing?"

"I didn't. That's not from my savings." I turned back to the dresser and pulled out a small bag with my assorted bills and change. Lori then had a puzzled look on her face.

"Then where did you get this? Have you started stealing again?"

"No! Well, that's actually not a bad idea…"

"Selina! Focus! We'll talk about that later! But how did you get this?"

"An old guy on the subway gave it to me. He must have seen James chase after me and felt bad. I need to find him Lori, and you're gonna help me."

"Damn. He must be rich if he was just walking around with these in his pocket. I'll help you, don't worry." She gave me back the bills and I put them into my wallet.

"Let's get some breakfast I'm starving," I said as I walked to the door.

Suddenly, I stopped mid-pace, Lori bumping into me. "What'd you forget?" she asked, moving past me.

"Nothing. I just noticed something." I smiled mischievously.

"What is it…?" Lori asked hesitantly.

"You gave me permission to start stealing again."

Lori huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "It wouldn't be a bad idea. You're good at it Selina, you really are. Like I said though, we'll talk about this later. Sleepover tonight?"

I laughed. We hadn't had a sleepover in years. "Deal. Let's eat!"

I grabbed my key from the kitchen counter and started to head to the door. Lori turned, opened the door for us and walked out, me right behind her. I locked the door, and we started to head down stairs to street.

Out on the street, we took an immediate left and opened the door into The Cheshire Cat. The instant the smell of coffee and food touched my nose, I felt my stomach growl.

"Damn! Even I heard that!" Lori jokingly commented. I stuck my tongue out at her.

We sat down at the nearest table and a short brunette waitress handed us menus. "Good morning. Would you girls like some coffee?"

"We would. Two please. One with cream and sugar, the other two shots of skim milk and two spoonful's of sugar," I said, surprised that I still remembered how Lori liked her coffee. Lori smiled at me.

"You got it," the waitress said and then left to get the coffee.

"You still got it too!" Lori excitedly said. "You don't know how good it is to have you back!"

"Trust me, I have an idea." We both laughed and joked until the waitress came back with our coffee.

After ordering our food, I told my escape to Lori. She listened intently, and when tears started to well in my eyes after remembering, she sympathetically put her hand on mine.

"I'm just happy I left. But I swear, he'll pay. I don't know how, but he will."

Lori sat for a moment, a dark look on her face. "I'll drag him down to Hell if I have to, you didn't deserve it."

The waitress came back with our food and we ate in silence while classic rock played in the background. The Cheshire Cat wasn't so bad at all I decided. _I could get used to this_, I thought.

Once the check came around, I put my hand in my purse to grab my wallet. Lori put her credit card down before my hand ever hit my wallet however. "It's on me, don't worry about it," she said with a smile. I smiled back at her.

"Thanks," I said.

"Don't mention it. Ready to go shopping?" She pulled out her car keys.

"I haven't been shopping in so long. Of course I'm ready!"

"Excellent! I'll drive!" Lori winked at me.

"As long as we get there in one piece, I'm fine with it," I said jokingly. Now it was Lori's turn to stick her tongue out at me. I laughed. We got up, grabbed our purses, and headed out to the street.

Lori never failed to amaze me. For such a small whore house she owned, she made a huge profit. I sat back into the red Audi R8's lush black seats and listened to the hum of the engine. Lori pulled away from the curb on onto the slightly busy street.

"Alright, its official, I want your car," I said.

Lori smiled and laughed. "I'll let you borrow it when I'm not in need of it," Lori replied.

I smiled at the thought. I used to own a small silver Audi TT before I sold it to save money for the apartment I bought with James. I loved that car and I was heartbroken James made me separate with it.

"…high end shopping?"

"What?" I asked. I didn't heard Lori's question.

"I said, are you ready to go high end shopping?" She winked at me.

"Sure, why not? I need to treat myself anyway. The Asshole never let me go shopping anymore. Plus I have enough to afford it anyway."

"High End, here we come!" Lori shouted as she accelerated through traffic.

I leaned back into the car and giggled. Leaving the Asshole was so worth it. I could feel myself coming out of the tight shell I had created for myself. At that moment, I knew that I was never, ever going back.

The high end part of Gotham City is beautiful. Beautiful cars, buildings, people, parks, you name it. Lori parked the car in front of a very fancy looking clothing store that was a bit much for my taste. We got out of the car, and I almost regretting wearing my combat boots. They looked out of place and I felt underdressed. Then I thought, _to hell with it._ I can do whatever I wanted. I was free.

Lori and I walked around for a bit until we found a store I was interested in. I was so excited to go shopping, that I accidently bumped into someone.

"Oops! I am so sorry!"

"Please, don't worry about it miss."

I looked up, and there stood tall, dark, and handsome. He had ice blue eyes that made my heart rate spike and my brain lose its train of thought. He smiled at me, revealing pearly white teeth. In that moment, I forgot where I was, or who I was. Someone sighed, snapping me back into reality.

Behind Mr. Hott stood a tall woman with long blonde hair with dark brown eyes that stared me down. She had a look of disgust on her face, and if her looks could kill, I would be dead. Something within me broke, and I realized that my old self was starting to show. I shot her my most dazzling smartass smile.

"You two have a lovely day," I said as sarcastically as I could, smile still shining. The woman huffed, grabbed Mr. Hott's arm, and shoved past us.

"I'll see you around sometime, maybe?" Mr. Hott asked over his shoulder.

"Don't count on it," the woman sharply replied to him, cutting me off before I even spoke.

Two could play at that game.

"Coffee, tomorrow morning at 9, The Cheshire Cat," I said to Mr. Hott.

"Deal. What's your name?" Mr Hott replied.

The woman scowled at me, and practically pulled him into the long black limo that had just pulled up. I just smiled at him and playfully said, "You're just going to have to find out."

I walked into the boutique as Mr. Hott's limo pulled away.

As soon as the boutique door closed, Lori grabbed my arm. "That was _so_ awesome!" She excitedly exclaimed. "The old Selina's coming back and she hasn't even been here for a full day! This is so exciting!"

She did a little dance that made me bust up laughing.

"That felt…good." I smiled.

Lori suddenly grabbed my shoulders and firmly said, "Welcome back Selina Kyle."

Then she pulled me into a hug as we continued to laugh. Pulling away, I looked her in the eye and said, "I want to buy something sexy and hot, I feel confident now."

Lori giggled. "Well, you're in the right store. This boutique is awesome. It's got it all: punk, leather, corsets, you name it."

"Fuck yea! What are we waiting for?!"

After hours of shopping, Lori and I finally returned back to my apartment tired and ready to grab a drink. Lori helped me unload the groceries I had bought before we came back to my apartment.

"How much money do you have left?" Lori asked.

"About…twenty dollars, why?"

"Well, I'm just wondering how you're going to survive, that's all. You could always work for me you know."

"I know Lori, and I appreciate it. I just don't think that I would be able to right now with everything that happened…" I fell silent. "I called Ted. I'll work something out." I fell silent again.

Lori stopped putting groceries away and turned to me. "Are you going to tell me everything that happened?" She quietly asked.

I remained silent. Lori went back to putting away groceries. Suddenly I replied, "I will…Later on tonight. Promise. I just need a drink."

I grabbed a bottle of Smirnoff Green Apple from the fridge, and uncapped it. I hadn't had liquor in a long while. James had cut me off from it. I took a long swallow and sighed with a satisfying "mmm..". Lori laughed.

"Ok, tonight, after you're drunk, you'll open up to me?"

"Yes Lori, I will. Promise."

"I'm sorry for pushing Selina, I just am concerned. I want to know everything he did to you so we know how to prepare for him if he ever comes back."

Fear started to grip my stomach, but another swallow of Smirnoff pushed it away.

"I know," I replied. "I just…I know what he did was wrong but I feel like it was my fault."

Tears began to form in my eyes as I remembered James yelling at me that the fights were my fault. I was the cause of his anger. It was all me.

"Hey." Lori pulled me into her, and hugged me tight. "It's not your fault Selina. It never was. You're an amazing woman. Do not let him make you think otherwise."

She let go and looked me into her eyes.

"You are my best friend, always will be. Trust me when I say it was never your fault."

"Ok."

Lori was the only person in the world I would ever open up to, cry willingly in front of. She was the only person in the world I could trust fully and never have a second thought.

"Let's get some music on, yea?" I asked.

"Sure," Lori said. "I brought my IPod and speakers for this occasion." We both giggled as I wiped away tears. She pulled out her IPod and plugged it into her speakers. The song "Shotgun" by Wallpaper. started to play. Lori grabbed a bottle of Budweiser Platinum from the fridge and popped the cap.

"Hey, where's Meekers?" she asked suddenly.

I clapped my palm to my forehead. "Crap! What time is it?"

"About 7:30, why?"

"She should be here in the next hour. For some reason, that cat knows I hate it when she's out at night."

Lori suddenly laughed out loud. In fact, she laughed so hard, tears formed in her eyes.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing, just the fact your cat has a curfew!" She laughed even harder, causing me to laugh with her.

I felt the alcohol beginning to hit me. I hadn't eaten since breakfast. The room started to slowly spin and I could feel my balance getting worse. I finished off the Smirnoff, and grabbed another.

"Jeez, Selina. Don't drink too much," Lori giggled.

"I'm fine," I laughed, "it's only my second."

"Whatever."

I put down my beer and raised my hands in defense, "Woah there missy. Someone has their sassy pants on."

Lori and I started to laugh so hard the both of us slowly fell to the floor. _This is going to be one hell of a night._

As I took another sip of my beer, I suddenly remembered my date with Mr. Hott tomorrow morning.

"SHIT!" I yelled, making Lori spill her drink.

"What?! What is it?" She exclaimed.

"I shouldn't be drinking! I don't want a hangover for my coffee date with that hot guy!"

"Aw fuck, that's right!" Lori looked at me and held out her hand. "Give me your beer. No more for you tonight, we can finish this tomorrow night."

Reluctantly, I handed it over.

"Good girl," Lori said with a smile. "Now you can be on you're a-game with him tomorrow."

She winked at me as I rolled my eyes.

"Don't give me that look!" Lori said.

I laughed, and said, "I'll thank you for this in the morning."

"Damn straight you will," she said and laughed.

"God, he was so hot..." I stared dreamily out the window, remembering those gorgeous blue eyes.

"Selina, you barely even know the guy. What if he's some weirdo or like, a huge player?" Lori said. "I mean, he did get into a limo and had a super model glued to his arm."

"I can handle it," I said with a sly smile. "If he plays me, then I'll play him right back."

"He has something you don't though."

"What?"

"Money. You realize that if you play him back, he can get over you so easily. All he has to do is wave one hand and then BOOM! Another girl on his arm."

"If that was true, he wouldn't have said yes to me."

Lori sighed, she knew I had won. "Fine. All I'm saying is to be careful." She pointed a manicured finger at me. "Don't get into trouble."

I laughed. "I won't, promise. And if I do, I think I can manage it."

"Yea, let's hope so," Lori said quietly.

It was silent for several moments. Then Lori spoke up, "Are you ever going to tell me what really happened?"

I stared down at the counter, not willing to speak up yet.

A minute passed.

Then two.

Finally I looked up at her, tears in my eyes.

"He lied to me. He told me that he would always love me and never hurt me. He told me that he would take care of me. It sounded like a dream come true Lori. After years of running and never having what I wanted most, I finally found it. I finally found love. At least at the time I thought I did."

Tears began to silently stream down my face and I was amazed that my voice remained calm and quiet.

"When we were dating, he showed no sign of being aggressive or controlling, or even abusive."

My tears fell, making small droplets on the counter.

"I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I said yes to him. It all sounded like a fairytale, a dream come true. I was so happy; I never saw it coming."

Lori still remained quiet as she looked at me.

"About three weeks after we moved in together, things changed. He started to snap and bark at me for leaving things out of place or forgetting things. He started to drink more and more, I couldn't stop it. Another week went by and one night he came home drunk. He started to yell at me, I don't remember for what. I began to stand up for myself, and as soon as I did…"

My voice trailed off as I broke into a heart-wrenching sob. Lori immediately got up and put her arms around me.

"Shhhh….its ok Selina."

She guided me to the couch and let me curl up against her as I continued to cry.

"He…he..lashed out at me. He hit m-me." I sobbed into her arms.

Lori stroked me hair as I continued the story.

"I woke up in the hospital, and he told the nurse I fell down the stairs and that it was an accident." Lori inhaled sharply and I could feel her muscles tighten with anger.

"The look he gave me…It was terrifying. I knew if I said anything, he would do something worse." I began to cry harder. "And later on, he did. He continued to hit me."

Lori took a deep breath in to calm herself, though I could feel her body shaking with anger. "I knew he was controlling, but not abusive. I never thought he had the guys to beat you, let alone threaten you."

Suddenly, she grabbed me and looked me in the eye and said in a serious tone, "Selina. Why didn't you use what Ted taught you and fight back?"

Tears spilled over my face as I whispered, "Because I don't fight those I love."

She pulled me into a hug. "Fair enough," she said. She then began to tickle my back to help settle me down. "I will drag that son of a bitch down to hell if I have to." Lori's voice with thick with rage.

A few minutes later, a thought occurred to me. _I had so many chances to fight back, why didn't I? Even when I knew I was right._ I looked up at Lori amidst tears. "Lori?"

She looked back at me, still stroking my back.

"I had so many chances to fight back. There were times where I knew I was right, and I still didn't. Why?"

Lori took a deep breath in as she pondered my question. "Because, he tricked you, just as you said earlier. He made you confused; he made you believe that hurting him was just like hurting me or Ted, someone that you loved. That's why it felt wrong to fight back."

"Oh…"

Lori looked at the time. "Come on, it's late. Let's get to bed."

I started to get up when I remembered that Tomeka hadn't come home.

"Wait Lori, where's Tomeka?"

Lori looked around the living room and kitchen. "Maybe she's in your bedroom?"

We walked into my bedroom and looked around. "Oh there she is," Lori said. "See? Nothing to worry about." Tomeka was fast asleep on my bed.

I yawned and began to get undressed with Lori's help. Once I was finished and in bed, she borrowed some of my sweats and got into bed next to me.

"Hey, wake me up an hour before I have to leave." I said to Lori before falling asleep.

"So…at 8?"

Before I was fully asleep, I muttered, "Yes, you smartass."

Then I fell asleep to Lori chuckling at me.


End file.
